Final answer:
To find the base amount from a part after a rate of decrease, divide the part by 1 minus the rate of decrease in decimal form. In this case, the base amount is approximately $61.85 before an 8% decrease to $56.90.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the base amount before a decrease, you can use the formula for percentage decrease, which is:
New Amount = Original Amount - (Original Amount × Rate of Decrease).
In this case, you have the new amount ($56.90) after an 8% decrease, so you can rearrange the formula to solve for the original amount:
Original Amount = New Amount / (1 - Rate of Decrease)
The rate of decrease needs to be in decimal form, so 8% becomes 0.08. Plug the values into the formula:
Original Amount = $56.90 / (1 - 0.08)
Original Amount = $56.90 / 0.92
Original Amount = $61.85
Therefore, the base amount before the decrease was approximately $61.85, rounded to the nearest cent.